Tubing anchor



July 5, 1932.

TUBING ANCHOR E. v. c'zRowELl.

Filed May 5.- 1950 Patented July 5', 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFVFVlclai)` i* nan v.`cnowELL, or Los anGELEscALiFonnIA p TUBING Application flied May 5,

This invention is a tubing anchor, andhas for an Vobject to provide a string of well tubing with a plurality ofvertically spaced anchoring means adapted to anchor a tubing .5 stringat a correspondingplurality of vertically spaced points, thereby augmenting the safety factor and insuring a positive and reliable anchoring engagement such as will prove adequate for the ever increasing length of tubing strings such as are Vemployed in modern deep wells.

" It is a further object of the invention to provide a tubing string with a pluralityV of vertically spaced anchoring means with one of said anchoring means 4ac-tuatedin `usual manner, and the anchoring means which is vertically spaced thereabove actuated by the anchoring engagement of the irstmentioned anchoring means. It is a still further object of the invention to provide a string of tubing withl a plurality of vertically spaced anchoring. means with one of said anchoring means adapted F, to anchor the lower portion of` the i tubing in usual manner, and the upper portion of the tubing adapted to telescope relative thereto and actuate the anchoring means which is vertically spaced above the first mentioned anchor. Y

It is a still further object of the invention Vto provide -an anchoring means which may comprise an accessory adapted for mounting in a tubing string in verticallyspaced rela- `viliary anchoring means may cooperate with theusual anchor-to provide anchoring engagement at a pluralityof vertically spaced points. Y

N tionfrom a'usual anchoijso thatv the auX-' Further objects of the invention willbev readily lunderstood from the following de-4 In the drawing VI have shown a usual` A-Ncnon 1930.3 serial No; 450,012. i

of tubing 3 isvincorporated in the tubing v V string land may be connected to the depending portion of the tubingl string by a usual .60 coupling 4; and a head is formed on'thetubing length 3 and comprises Wedging elements 5 which cooperate with normally inoperative slips 6 so that relative axialmovementbetween the wedgingelements andthe slipswill 65 Y -operatively expand thelatter foranchoring engagement withthe-wall of the well lcasingy as shown in Fig. 2. The Vslips are preferably mounted on-their cooperatinglhead by means of a' supporting sleevel 7 vwhich is slidable on tubing 3,Y and a spring 8 whichA is mounted between sleeve' andthe coupling collar 4 is normally compressedby the weightioffthe 1 slips for relative axial positioning vof ythe slips 'and their wedging elementswhereby the slips 5 are free to contract to -inoperativeposition `as shown `in Fig. l; but if the string of tubing drops suddenly thespring 8 tends to retard the fall of sleeve 7 so thatthe slips carried thereby are operativelyexpanded by relative axial movement of their cooperating Wedging elements as shown in Fig. 2. f i

i Manual operation of the anchor is prefer ably controlledby a sleeve 9 slidableon the tubing string below sleeve 7 ,but yieldably` held against rotation or'aXial displacement relative to 'casing `2.by bowed springs l0. -The sleeveV 9fhas a slot 1l opening through thevlower endofthe sleeve and forming at its upper end a' transverseslot- 1lafwhich ter-1 minates in a depending slot lllganda pin 12 which projects radially from the tubing stringi-.preferably the kcoupling collar 4,

' is slidable in said slots and whenengaging slot 11b l'oclrssleeve 9 against elevation rela tive to the tubingstrin'gf as shown inFig..1, but by slight elevationfand subsequent circumferential shifting ofthe .tubing string relative to sleeve 9, tliepin l2 1s adapted for i alinement with vertical slot 11 so that lthe tub- 00 ing string may be lowered relative to the i sleeve, thereby impinging the sleeve 9 against ment ofthe wedging elements relative thereand in the present instance shown as a unitary structure comprising an accessory adapted to lbe incorporated in a usual tubing string.

' As an instance of this arrangement a tub- 'ing length 17 telescopes at its lower end in a barrel 14 which is adapted forready assembly in the tubing string by threading the lower end of the barrel onto usual vthreads 13 at the upper end of tubinglengthxand the upper end of tubing 17 forms a coupling 18 adapted to engage the upwardly projecting portion of lthe tubing string. Ahead comprising wedging elements 19 is Vformed on tubing length 17', and slips 20 which'are mounted on the head and carried by a ring 21 sli'dably mount- `ed`onr tubing 17, are adapted for axial moveto'v so as Vto contract or expand the slips as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 respectively.

As the tubing` string is loweredl or withdrawn from a well the weight of the lower portion of the string vexpands the tubular support consisting of the telescopic sections i y' 17 and 14-3, to its limit of movement as determined byadhead 1GofA tubing 17 engaging a cooperating seat of barrel 14, and with the parts in this position a spring 22 which is mounted between ring 21 and barrel 14 yieldably supports slips so that they are in inoperative position below their cooperating wedging elements 19 as shown in Fig. 1.

" When the slips 6v anchor the tubing length 3,

either manually or automatically as previously described, the weight of the upwardly pro- 'i yieldably vsupporting the 'slips 20 against dejecting portion of the tubing string telescopes tubing 17 in barrel 14,'with the spring 22 pression so that they are operativelyexpandd As previouslyV described the tubing string ed by the relatively axial shifting of their cooperating wedging elements 19, and the slips-.'20 thus provide anchoring means for 4the tubingstring functioning as an auxiliary -to Athe anchor formed by slips 6, with the operation Vof this auxiliary anchor yieldably cushioned by the spring 22 so as toV avoid setting the auxiliary anchor so abruptly or so tightly as to split the casing 2 or prevent subsequent ready release of the anchor;

Ymust be rotated relative to Ysleeve 9 in order to'manually actuatethe anchoring slip 6,

operating seat adapted to engage and form a fluid tight seal when the tubing string is in normal position with its anchoring means inoperative and its telescopic parts relatively expanded, thereby preventing leakage from the tubing string during its normal use, while at the same time providing for ready contraction of its telescopic parts.

l The invention thus provides la plurality ofvertically. spaced Lanchoring means for a tubing string, with one of said anchoring means preferably comprising-a usual anchor, andthe other of said anchoring means preferably comprising a unitary structure which Vmay be an accessory adapted for mounting in a tubing string for'use in connection with the primary anchor, and the auxiliary anchor being actuated by operative engagement of the primary. anchor. i

I claim:

1. A string oftubing for a. well bore comprising relatively telescopic upper and lower portions having means for limiting their relative telescopic expansion whereby the lower portion lmay be suspended from the upper portion. for insertionand withdrawal of the entire tubing string asa unit, means on the lower portion of the tubing string for anchoring said lower portion in the well bore, and means on the upper'portion of the tubing string for anchoring said upper portion in the well bore, each ofsaidanchoring means being adapted for actuation while the upper and lower portions of the tubing string are in telescopic assembled relation, and the anchoring means for the-upper portion of the'tubing string Y beingv adapted for automatic actuartion'bytelescopic contraction of said upper portion with relationV to the lower portion yyhen the latterhas been anchored in the well ore. Y

2. A string of tubing for a well bore comprising relatively telescopic upper and lower portions having means for limiting their relative telescopic expansion wlierebythe lower portion may be suspended from the upper portion for insertion rand withdrawal of the entire tubing string as a'unit, means on the lower portion of the tubing string for anchoring said lower portion in the well bore,

Vthe anchoring means bcingfadaptedI for actuation by shifting the lower portion of the i tubing string relative to the anchoring means,

a connection between the upper and lower being adapted for automatic actuation by telescopic contraction of said upper portion with relation to the lower portion when the latter has been anchored in the well bore.

3. A string of tubing fora well bore comprising relatively telescopic upper and lower portions having means for limiting their relative telescopic expansion whereby the'lower portion may be suspended from the upper portion for insertion and withdrawal of the entire tubing string as a unit, a catcher on the lower portion of the tubing string for automatically anchoring said lower portion in the well bore in the eventl of the tubing string dropping, and means on the upper portion of the tubing string for anchoring said upper portion in the well bore, each of said anchoring means being adapted for actu` ation while the upper and lower portions of the tubing string are in telescopic assembled relation, and the anchoring means for the upper portion of the tubing string being adapted for automatic actuation by telescopic contraction of said upper portion with relation to the lower portion when the latter has been anchored in the well bore.

4. A string of tubing for a well bore comprising relatively telescopic upper and lower portions having means for limiting their relative telescopic expansion whereby the lower portion may be suspended `from the upper portion for insertion and withdrawal of the entire tubing string as a unit, means on the lower portion of the tubing string for anchoring said lower portion in the well bore, the anchoring means being adapted for actuation by shifting the lower portion of the tubing string relative to the anchoring means, a connection between the upper and lower portions of the tubing string whereby movement of the upper portion is adapted to shift 4the lower portion for actuating the anchoring means, the anchoring means being also adapted for automatic actuation in the event of the tubing string dropping, and means on the upper portion of the tubing string for anchoring said upper portion in the well bore, each of said anchoring means being adapted for actuation while the upper and lower portions of thetubing string are in telescopic assembled relation, and the anchoringk means for the upper portion of the tubingV string being adapted for automatic actuation by tel'- escopic contraction of said upper portion with relation to the lower portion when the latter has been anchored in the well bore.`

5;k In a tubing catcher, a tubular support comprisingtelescopic sections, a slip cooperating with each section, means for automatically radially displacing the lower slip due to the inertia of the tubing catcher when it is dropped, whereby the lower telescopic section is anchored, and means for radially displacing the upper slip due to telescoping of the upper section relative lto the anchored lower section.

6. In a tubing catcher, a tubular support comprising telescopic sections, a slip cooperating with each section, means for radially displacing the lower slip for anchoring the lower telescopic section, and means for radially displacing the upper slip due to telescoping of the upper section relative to the anchored lower section.

7. In a tubing catcher, a tubular support comprising` telescopic sections, means for maintaining a fluid tight seal between the' telescopic sections when in normal relativelyy expanded position, a slip cooperating with` each section, means for radially displacing the lower slip for anchoring the lower telescopic section, and means for radially displacing the upper slip due to telescoping of the upper section relative to the anchored lower section.

8. In a tubing catcher, a tubular support comprising telescopic sections, a head on each section, a slip cooperating with each head, means for radially displacing the lower slip for anchoring the lower telescopic section, means for yieldably supporting the upper slip on the lower telescopic section, and means for radially displacing the upper slip by relf ative longitudinal movement of its cooperating head due to telescoping of the upper section relative to the anchored lower section, the yieldably supporting means for the upper slip cushioning said radial displacement of the upper slip. f

9. In a tubing catcher, a tubular support comprising superimposed telescopic sections, a head on each section, a slip cooperating with each head, and means actuated responsive to inertia fof the tubing catcher when it is dropped, for automatically and consecutively radially displacing the slips which cooperate with the heads of the successively higher superimposed sections.

10. In a tubing catcher, a tubular support comprising superimposed telescopic sections, a slip cooperating with each section, and means actuated responsive to inertia of the tubing catcher when it is dropped, for automatically and consecutively radially displacing the slips which cooperate with the succes'- sively higher superimposed sections.

V.In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my 

